Description:

This paper explains that Booker T. Washington's body of work, study, and his life, as encompassed in his autobiography, "Up from Slavery", is often set against the life of W.E.B. Du Bois. The author points out that Booker T. Washington, advocating a conservative point of view regarding the place of African-Americans in American society, was in contrast to Du Bois's advocacy of immediate political, as well as economic, equality for the races in America. The paper stresses that by over-focusing on economics, as opposed to integrated education and justice and intellectual advancement, Washington is said to have sold himself short, as well as his people.

From the Paper:

"However, Washington was a far more complex individual than this initial gloss might allow. Louis Harlan's introduction to Washington's life is particular important not simply because Harlan offers a comprehensive reading of an important figure in American history and African American history. Harlan is the author of a biography of Washington, and his reading of Washington's life is important for the redemptive reading he offers of a figure so frequently misread by history and even by African Americans today, intent upon finding a scapegoat for the lack of advancement for individuals within the community during the first half of the 20th century. Rather than judging Washington by contemporary standards, Harlan suggests, one must view Washington as he was in life, and judge him upon his own, rather than contemporary terms."

Cite this Book Review:

APA Format

"Up From Slavery" by Booker T. Washington (2004, February 27)
Retrieved August 02, 2015, from http://www.academon.com/book-review/up-from-slavery-by-booker-t-washington-49137/